Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that there are ‘many signs’ suggesting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is no longer alive, following a massive joint US-Israeli military operation targeting sites across Iran.
But Netanyahu provided no evidence to substantiate the assertion.
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In fresh remarks after the strikes, Netanyahu said: “Today we have killed several major leaders that are involved in the nuclear program of Iran and we will continue to target several sites of this regime. We have targeted the site where Khamenei was.”
“There are many signs that this tyrant is no longer. This morning we eliminated senior officials in the ayatollahs’ regime, Revolutionary Guards commanders, senior figures in the nuclear programme – and we will continue. In the next few days, we will hit thousands more targets of the terror regime,” he added.
Notably, Israeli authorities have not released intelligence or visual proof to confirm that claim.
30 bombs dropped on Khamenei compound
Israel’s Channel 12 network reported that 30 bombs were dropped on a complex linked to the 86-year-old Supreme Leader.
According to senior journalist Amit Segal, who is widely seen as close to Netanyahu, Khamenei was believed to have been underground at the time of the strike, though “probably not in his own bunker.” No source was cited for the report.
It remains unclear whether Khamenei was present at the compound when it was hit. Iranian officials have not produced a public appearance by the Supreme Leader since the strikes began.
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian were alive “as far as I know,” directly contradicting Netanyahu’s suggestion.
Massive operation across Iran
The operation, dubbed “Epic Fury” by US Central Command, involved precision munitions launched from air, land and sea. US officials said the targets included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps command facilities, air defense systems, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.
The Israeli military said around 200 fighter jets participated in the initial wave of attacks, striking roughly 500 targets in what it described as the largest military flyover in its history.
Smoke was seen rising over Tehran, with explosions reported near the Intelligence Ministry and other high-security zones. Witnesses told The Associated Press that air defense systems were active across the capital.
The US military reported no American casualties roughly 12 hours into the conflict, despite what it described as hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks in retaliation.
